Only the Beginning
by breakorscream
Summary: Ever since his surgery, he's known the truth. But he waits. Until one day when he gets tired of waiting. Ever since his surgery, she's noticed changes. But she can't explain it. And then one day, she asks. Set in early season 5
1. Chapter 1

Not a strand of her hair was out of place, but he felt the need to tuck it behind her ear as they sat at the round table. She leaned back to look at him, blue eyes glittering playfully as she smiled and swatted his hand before returning her full attention back to the lecture. The words must have some meaning to her, but they soared through his mind like the buzzing of a bee some ten feet away: clearly occurring, but not directly related to his train of thought.

The lecture hall was crowded, and their table was no exception. Some specialist squint had pulled up an extra chair, and the rest of the listeners had accommodated his presence by squeezing together. Their shoulders were pressed tightly together, but it was not uncomfortable. She leaned against him with ease, as oblivious to the contact as one was to the air around them.

But their proximity did register with the man. In fact, it was all he could think about. The top of her head just reached his nose in their current position, and the scent was overwhelming. He inhaled deeply, letting the smell of her delicious strawberry shampoo fill his nostrils. It had been a long case, and he figured he deserved some kind of reward for solving it without strangling someone.

"Are you okay?" She whispered, her breath tickling his lips as he craned her neck to look upwards. "You haven't been paying the slightest bit of attention and you're breathing quite heavily."

He rolled his eyes in response."Come on, you know this isn't really my scene." He gestured to the surrounding symposium of scientists.

"If you are uncomfortable with your IQ being lower than the majority of the other occupants of this room, you did not have to come, Booth." She muttered. "But I would appreciate it if you did not distract me from Doctor Alaband's report."

Biting back a reply, he muttered an apology and faced front, not eager to fight with her today. Not today, after he had spent the whole night before tossing in bed. After a week as grueling as the one he had had, sleep should have been easy, but he had found himself repeatedly flipping his pillow trying to find comfort that had never arrived. He had lain awake all night, searching for answers and trying to make a decision. So it was not surprising that now, his arm on the back of her chair, he felt his eyelids droop.

He woke to hundreds of chairs scraping against the floor as the lecture hall emptied. He glanced at her sheepishly, hoping she had not noticed his slumber, but found to his annoyance that she was in deep conversation with the latecomer to their table. He leaned over and forced himself to listen.

"…found his observations on the composition of the specimen's remains to be absolutely fascinating. I do believe-"

"Hey, Bones, class is over. Whatdya say we go grab a bite to eat at the dinner, then maybe play a little hooky for the rest of the afternoon?"

"Booth, you know there's a second lecture this afternoon and I'm terrible at ice skating. Besides, Jeffery and I were planning on discussing the results of the study over lunch."

"Terrible at ice…. _Hooky_, Bones, not _hockey_. Besides, I thought we had plants to get lunch at the dinner." he trailed off pathetically, looking around. "Who am I supposed to eat with?"

"I… I don't know what that means, Booth, but I'm sure you can find someone. There's a group that's going to the café across the street, you can join them."

"Fine, Bones, I'll see you later." He threw the man, Jeffery, a glare and turned, stomping heavily towards the exit.

He hadn't even wanted to go to the dumb geek club meeting, but his son was staying with him for the next few days and his time with her would have been limited. And now he spends all morning listening to some old geezer drone on and on about some centuries old skeleton from the tropics just so he would be able to grab a bite to eat with her afterwards, only to have her pick up some nerd right next to him to satisfy her "biological urges"? One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to sit around and watch.

He was almost at the door when she caught up with him and grabbed his elbow.

"Booth, I-"

"What happened to Jeffery," he interrupted, spitting out the name. "I thought you were going to talk about the Mayan over Italian?"

"The skeleton was from Itacueretba, Booth, not the Yukatan. Besides, I'd rather eat with you." She flashed him a weak smile, and his anger melted.

"Sure Bones, lead the way." He placed a hand on the small of her back and resisted the urge to turn and stick his tongue out at Jeffery as he ushered her out of the lecture hall.

---

"Booth, are you sure you're all right?" She questioned gently, bringing him out of his reverie as he blinked to clear his vision. They were sitting in the dinner, finishing their meals.

"Course, Bones, why wouldn't I be?" He spoke through a mouthful of burger.

"You were just staring into space. Not to mention you fell asleep during the lecture."

"I just… I just didn't sleep well last night, Bones. Nothing to worry about. I'll be right as rain tomorrow."

"Rain can't possibly be right, Booth, that makes no sense. Are you sure that it's not-"

"Bones, I'm fine. There's no need to worry."

"I really would feel much better if you went to see a doctor."

"Don't be ridiculous, Bones. There's no need. I'm fine."

"I just think you ought to check."

"They said I'm tumor-free, Bones. No more cancer, no more doctors. There's no need."

"Then why aren't you able to focus on anything? The lecture I can understand as being too scientific, but even our most recent case. It was fairly simple, but I sensed multiple times that you were distracted."

He rolled his eyes. "Why don't you let me do the sensing from now on, Bones. You know it's never easy to work with a victim who was murdered by someone she loved. Men shouldn't do that to their wives."

"Nobody should do that to anybody, Booth, it has nothing to do with the relationship with the killer."

"It's different with love involved."

"Love's simply a chemical reaction derived from attraction. It's the same as the hormones that would have been released in his brain as he stabbed her – it's a simple reaction to stimuli."

"No it's not, Bones. Don't you ever compare true love to a sadistic urge to kill, got it? It's different."

"Booth, I really think…"

"I'm fine, okay? Now, hurry up and finish eating. You don't want to be late." He threw a wad of bills down and pushed back from the table.

Back in the car a moment later, he almost missed her whisper. "I'm sorry."

A heavy sigh. "Its fine, Bones. Don't worry about it. I overreacted" She nodded, biting her lip.

He ran a hand through his hair. It was clear that she was stills searching for answers, trying to understand his behavior. How could he make her understand that it wasn't his recent surgery that was changing his demeanor? That he had only attended the dumb lecture to spend time with her? That it broke his heart to watch her chat up some other guy? That he wanted to be the one to show her true love, explain to her that not every man would leave her? That there was a difference between love and whatever had been in the household of their most recent case? That it wasn't the case that had been distracting, but her? That he hadn't been able to focus because of her presence next to him, and ever since waking from his post-surgery coma, he'd been overwhelmed with thoughts of her?

He placed his hand on the center console of the car and wiggled his fingers. She looked at him before placing her hand delicately on his and entwining their fingers. And he knew their dispute was forgotten, but not settled. And he swore to himself that he would figure out a way, soon, to explain his newly developed feelings to her, Sweets and Gordon-Gorden be damned. She deserved that; she deserved the truth. She deserved everything under the sun. And he vowed to give it to her.

Because for Seeley Booth, the truth was only the beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

She looked down at the hand on the console and watched his fingers wiggle, then looked back at him. He clearly wanted some sort of reassurance that she was okay, that they were okay. She placed her hand on top of his, a half-hearted high five. But she was surprised when his fingers came up to meet hers, and suddenly their hands were entwined. She left their joint hands on the consol and felt his thumb trace small circles on the back of her hand.

Some part of her was reassured by this, for it as a very Booth-y thing for him to do. He was holding her hand in an attempt to comfort her. As if she was the one needing the contact, needing reassurance. He had been unsettled since his surgery, and on a primal level, he was seeking her comfort by trying to comfort her. She was tempted to roll her eyes at his alpha-male antics as she released her lower lip from between her teeth, reassured by his need to protect her. Perhaps he really was the same Booth after all.

They rode for a few moments in silence, each mulling over their own thoughts. The silence was interrupted by the Booth's ring tone, muffled and tiny as it rang out from his pocket. Booth removed his hand from hers and hurriedly shifted, frowning as he glanced at the screen.

"It's Parker's school…" He muttered, flipping open the phone. "Booth." A smile lit up his face. "Hey bub, what's up? What do you mean she can't pick you up? No, of course I can come get you. Do you have baseball tonight? Alright, good, we'll just hang out then… sure, if you wanna see a movie we can. I'll be there in fifteen minutes, okay? Wait in the office for me if everybody else gets picked up before I get there… I love you, bub. See you soon."

He snapped the phone shut and pounded a fist against the steering wheel. "Damn it, Rebecca!"

"Everything alright?" Brennan chanced, prying the phone from his tight grasp.

He shook her off., but handed her the phone. "Rebecca got called in for an extra shift and can't pick up Parker. She told me to pick him up from school and said I could keep him for the rest of the day instead of picking him up later, like we'd planned. I still need to get groceries and clean up my place before he comes over…"

"I can go over to your apartment and clean while you pick him up, if you'd like. That way you can take him with you to the store and when you get back everything will be all set."

"Bones, you don't have to clean my apartment. Besides, you've got the rest of the seminar. I'll just drop you off and go get Parker."

"If you'd prefer, I can retrieve Parker myself while you straighten up. Doctor Alaband always struggles to connect his theories to his facts. I assure you, I will not miss anything of importance."

"Bones… I can't make you do that."

"It's not a problem, Booth. And perhaps we can take him out to dinner somewhere, instead of you having to cook. That way you can spend more time with him."

He paused, contemplating. The idea of extra time with her swayed him over. He rarely got to see both her and his son together, because she always muttered excuses about not wanting to intrude. Part of him wondered if was too hard for her to see a father and his son interacting normally, when her paternal relationship was unstable.

"If… if you're sure, Bones. That'd be great."

"Of course. Just drop me off at my apartment so I can get my car and I'll go get him. We'll be at your place in forty-five minutes."

"Thanks Bones. Just… thanks."

They drove straight by the hall that had held the convention, neither pausing to look at it. Doctor Alaband and his studies were long forgotten. Inside, the scientist named at Jeffery looked around, searching for the beautiful woman with whom he had been conversing early. Unable to locate her or her companion, he smirked. _Figured as much. They were going to either kill each other or jump each other._ _Shame, though. She really is gorgeous._

And as Booth glanced over at his partner, he couldn't but think the same thing.

---

"Doctor Bones!" A voice called as she entered the school office, and two arms wrapped around her middle. "Where's Dad?"

She threaded her fingers through the boy's hair and smiled. "He's meeting us at home. I offered to pick you up since he had some stuff to do."

"Excuse me, miss. Can I help you?" The receptionist peered over the desk at Parker. "Parker, do you know this woman?"

"Yeah! She's my Doctor Bones." He grinned proudly, as if she was his own to claim.

"My name is Doctor Temperance Brennan. I'm his father's partner." Brennan clarified.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I wasn't aware Mr. Booth was married." This was a hint of disappointment in the young woman's voice.

_Booth has himself an admirer, _Brennan thought to herself before clarifying: "Oh, no, we just work together."

"I'm sorry. I can't authorize you to sign out Parker unless you're a family member."

Parker spoke up. "She _is_ my family, Ms. Theopld. She's my Doctor Bones!"

Brennan smiled down at him, for he was still wrapped around her stomach. "Perhaps if you just contact Booth and get his approval?" She suggested.

"Of course. Let me just get his contact information. I'll be back in a minute." Ms. Theopold pushed back from her desk and into a small office where Brennan could see her rifle through a file cabinet.

"Are you going to see the movie with us?" Parker asked excitedly.

Brennan thought for a moment. She had been planning on finding a way to satisfy her biological urges that evening, but Booth has squashed her chances with Jeffery, and she really wasn't up for a girl's night out with Angela. Maybe she would just spend the night in modular storage or working on her latest novel. The next chapter involved a scene with Andy and an old flame that she was quite looking forward to writing, but it could wait another day.

"We'll see, Parker. Let's talk to your dad first."

"Oh, he'll be okay with it." He nodded assuredly as the receptionist returned holding a manila folder labeled _Booth, Parker._

As she opened it, her eyes jumped straight to the emergency contact information. Listed as the primary caretaker was the boy's mother, and directly below that was Booth's number. She began to dial the phone number listed, when her eyes drifted to the third contact. She placed the phone back in the cradle.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Brennan. I didn't realize you were Parker's emergency contact. If you'll just sign this sheet of paper, you'll be free to go."

Brennan nodded slowly. "Of course." She leaned over and signed her name on the line, but her mind was racing. _Booth listed me as an emergency contact? And Rebecca agreed? _But there was no time to wonder how that had happened without her knowing, because Parker was tugging her hand.

"Hurry up, Doctor Bones! I'm hungry! Can we have pie for dinner?"

Laughing quietly, Brennan allowed herself to be pulled from the office.

**A/N: I'm sorry, not a very exciting chapter I know. The next one will focus more on our couple. We're just getting the story set up right now. I hope I haven't bored any of you away! Leave a review and let me know what you think if you're still reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hours later, the trio sat in Booth's SUV. Parker was asleep in the backseat, having crashed after a sugar rush during the movie. And yet again, Brennan found herself wondering what the cause for Booth's abnormal behavior was. He was unusually quiet as he drove through the heart of DC on the Friday night.

"Booth?" She spoke quietly, so as not to wake Parker.

"Mmm?" He replied, before snapping out of his thoughts. "What's up, Bones."

"You're quiet today."

"Just thinking, Bones. I know I usually leave that to you, but I do use the old noggin occasionally." He flashed a brilliant grin at her.

"I know. I just…"

"You're worried."

"Your surgery was only two months ago, Booth. I only just got back from Guatamala, I'm still trying to acclimate to your… changes."

"I've changed?"

"No, of course not. You're still Booth."

_What if I want to be more than Booth? What if I want to be Seeley? _He sighed quietly. "Then what's the problem, Bones?"

"I don't know. It was a big day. I guess I'm still getting past it."

"Hey, you didn't undergo brain surgery."

"I watched."

"That's true. You were there, keeping the Doctor in check." He grinned. "Thanks, Bones. You were my gun that day."

They turned left onto a smaller street, devoid of other cars. Booth took his eyes off the road for a moment and looked at her. She was staring out the window, watching the streetlights flash by. He reached over and took her hand again, placing it on the console between them. He may have been pushing his luck, but Brennan didn't even seem to notice as the lights blurred with unexplainable tears.

"I'm used to you being the gun." Her voice was clear and steady despite her blurred vision.

"I know." Silence. "Hey, Bones? Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"If you were so worried about me, why'd you leave?" He glanced at her and watched her stiffen.

She turned to stare out the window, watching the lights flash by. "It's my job, Booth."

"I'm your job, Bones. You took time off to do it."

"It was a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"You're in Guatamala every Christmas, Bones."

"I'm going to El Salvador this year."

"No, you're not. Your dad and brother will want to spend time with you."

She turned to face him. "I'll have you know that Russ is spending it with Amy and the girls in North Carolina."

"And Max?"

"I don't know."

"Christmas is for family, Bones. Don't make your dad spend it alone."

"He'll be fine, Booth."

"Every dad deserves to spend Christmas with their kid." His eyes flicked up to the rearview window where he eyed Parker's sleeping form. Brennan softened, realizing this was a tender subject.

"He's a great kid, Booth."

"I know. And he loves you. Thanks for coming to the movie with us. It made his week."

"Anytime. I'm sorry I intruded on your time together. I know how valuable it is to you."

"You're always welcome, Bones. I mean, you ditched the seminar to pick him up from school for Christ's sake. If that doesn't make you family, I don't know what does."

"I'm not related to you, Booth."

_Jesus. She still doesn't get it._ "Bones, how many times-"

"I know."

"Good." He glanced at her. "Seriously, Bones, what you did today was above and beyond."

"You needed assistance. I understand that being a single parent is hard."

"I could have made Charlie…"

"It's not Charlie's job to take care of your kid, Booth."

"It's not your job either." _But you seem to think it's your job to run away from everything. _

They pulled his parking space at his apartment and he put the car into park. Neither made any move to get out as Brennan toyed with the skull keychain on her keys.

"Yes it is. It's my job as your best friend to help you."

"Best friend?"

"Of course, Booth. What did you think I was?"

"My partner." _The woman I love._

"Booth, you can't justify the amount of time we spend together with just work."

"I meant partner in life. You're my go-to-girl, Bones."

"I… I don't know what that means."

"It means you're who I turn to when I need help, or advice, or a friend. It means you're the first person I think about in the morning and everything reminds me of you. It means… everything, Bones."

"You had me listed as an emergency contact for Parker." She added.

"Of course, Bones. Who else would I put?"

"I don't know. Your brother? Charlie?"

"You said it yourself, it's not Charlie's job to take care of my kid. And I'm not letting Jared near him unless I'm around. Besides, if something were to happen, heaven forbid, I trust you to do what's right. It's the same reason you're my primary medical contact."

Brennan nodded, slowly. "Partners?" She asked.

"Partners." He sighed. _And more, if you'd ever listen to me._

"You should get him to bed."

"Yeah... see you Monday?" _Tomorrow? Please?_

"If we have a case." She replied, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"I'll pick you up." He unbuckled his seatbelt too, and opened the door, shivering as the brisk night air entered the car. They got out and walked to the front of the car.

"Okay."

"Well…"He tried to think of the right words, but none came to mind.

"I had fun."

"Me too. Thanks for coming, Bones."

"See you."

"See you." He turned back towards the car and opened the back door, preparing to get Parker. He heard her walking towards her car, but her footsteps stopped and she turned around.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what, Bones? You're the one who helped me today."

"For letting me be a part of your family."

"Oh. Of course, Bones."

"See you Monday."

"I'll call you."

Brennan opened her car door and began to dig through her purse for the keys. Just as she found them, she looked up to watch Booth carrying a sleeping Parker towards the apartment building, and she smiled. Glancing at the time as she backed out, she saw that it wasn't yet ten o'clock.

_Maybe I'll have time to write that chapter after all. Except… Andy's ex isn't necessary to the plotline. I should cut it out to make it shorter. My readers don't want to see them fight. Maybe they'll go on a date instead, to celebrate the end of their most recent case._

She pulled onto the main road and headed home. _Yeah, they'll go on a date to the movies. _

**A/N: Wow! I've been overwhelmed with the number of you adding this story to your story alert and favoriting it. I'm so glad you all like it! This was bit dialogue-heavy, I know, but I tried to mimic the flow of a conversation between the two of them. Let me know how I did in a review! Chapter four (already complete) will be posted tomorrow!**


	4. Chapter 4

"That was Hot-Blooded by Foreigner. It's 5:30 AM and you're listening to 40.01 MBSL."

Booth rolled over in bed and smacked his alarm clock. He laid there for a moment, before realization dawned that it was Monday. For most people that would mean a reluctance to leave the warmth of the covers, but Seeley Booth threw them back and jumped up, stretching his back.

Freshly showered, he donned his pants and shirt and padded into his son's room.

"Hey, Parks, wake up big guy. We gotta get you packed up and ready for school."

"Mmmmorning." Parker yawned and stretched, toes reaching out over the end of the bed.

Booth chuckled and grabbed one of his toes. "You're almost too big for this bed, bub. Maybe it's time to get you a new one."

Parker's eyes snapped open. "No! I love my racecar."

Laughing again, Booth ruffled Parker's bedhead. "Whatever you say. Go ahead and get dressed. Pancakes in fifteen minutes, alright? See you in the kitchen." He flicked on the light as he left the room.

He glanced at the time on the stove and decided it was late enough to call her. The phone rang once before a laughing voice filled his ear.

"Booth, its six in the morning. What the hell do you want?" He froze. That wasn't Bones' voice.

"Angela?"

"The one and only, studly." He could hear Bones in the background yelling at Angela to give the phone back.

"What are you doing with Bones' phone?"

"We had a girl's night and a sleep over. Don't you wish you had been invited?"

Booth stiffened. _Girls night… _"Did Bones… did she…" he glanced down the hall where he saw his son walking towards the kitchen and switched tactics last minute. "did you guys have fun?"

"Relax, FBI. She didn't sleep with anybody."

"That's not what I said, Ange!" He pressed the phone against his cheek with his shoulder as he placed a pancake on a plate and gave it to Parker who smiled his thanks. "Be right back, bub," Booth whispered and headed down the hallway to finish getting dressed.

"It's what you meant, big guy." Ange laughed. "Alright alright!" She acknowledged Brennan's pleas for the phone. "Here's Bren."

"Booth?"

"Hey, Bones. I was going to offer you a ride to work, since you're right on the way to Parker's school but…" He trailed off, disappointed. "I take it you're not home."

"Oh, no, Booth, I'm home. Ange spent the night with me last night." Booth sighed. Listening to Angela's pestering about their relationship was not the first thing he wanted to do this morning, but he'd already offered.

"Oh. Well, I can drive you both if you'd like."

"That'd be great, Booth. Thanks."

"No problemo. See you in half an hour?"

"Yup."

Brennan shut her phone and turned to her friend who was grinning gleefully. "You do know that's why everybody thinks you're dating, right? Coming in together on a Monday morning does not send off the best signs."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ange. He drives this way every Monday anyway. Might as well save the carbon emissions."

"Right. It's about the polar bears. Not you need to see each other first thing in the morning because you are so deeply in love. Just the cute little polar bears."

Brennan's mind flashed back to Booth's words on Friday. _"the first thing I think about in the morning."_ According to Angela, that meant love. But then again, everything meant love to Angela. She shook her head and poured a cup of coffee.

"We're partners, Ange."

"Partners: saving the polar bears one Monday morning at a time."

---

Booth knocked twice on Brennan's door and stepped back. Parker grabbed his hand and smiled up at him.

"Well if it isn't studly and mini-stud." Angela opened the door and stepped out in the hall. "Bren's just pouring yet another cup of coffee. That woman drinks more of the stuff than can possibly be healthy."

"This isn't for me, Ange." Booth's eyes snapped to the doorway where he caught Brennan's eye and grinned his hello. Was he imagining it, or was she blushing slightly?

_Must just have been the light._ He mused as she stepped into the hall and handed him his coffee. "Thanks, Bones."

Ange looked back and forth between the two, then down at Parker. "Do they do this often?"

"Every week!" Parker chirped happily, letting go of Booth's hand to attach himself to Brennan's. "How come you got to sleep over with Ms. Angela, Bones? It was a school night!"

"Speaking of school, kiddo, we'd better run." Booth said, shifting his coffee to his other hand to glance at his watch. Rebecca would kill him if Parker was late, and they were still a few minutes away. Placing his hand on the small of Bones' back, he steered her towards the stairs.

"Can we turn on the siren, Dad? Can we pleaaaase? Bones wants you to turn it on too, dontcha Doctor Bones? It's really loud and means we can go reeeeeeeeeeeeeally fast."

_Man, I should spend the night at Brennan's more often. _Angela mused and she and Parker trailed behind them. _She doesn't tell me half the good stuff._

**A/N: I realize this chapter was very short in comparison to some of the others, but I have to ask you to stick with me. I am working on chapters six and seven right now, and I can assure you there will be some large developments, if not revelations in the near future. Thanks for all of your kind reviews! They mean the world, as this is the first multi-chaptered fic I have attempted in a while and your reassurances are so good to hear. Chapter five will be up sometime tomorrow!**


	5. Chapter 5

Booth sat down at his desk at the Hoover an hour later, having dropped Parker off at the elementary school and the girls at the Jeffersonian. The second half of the ride has been much worse than the first, with Angela's pestering the whole time about their relationship. He'd had half a mind to throw her out of the car to get her to shut up. He was having a hard enough time figured out what to do about his feeling without her convincing him to just ravish Bones against a wall.

He grabbed a file from his desk and set out for a long morning of work, but was interrupted only a short time later by a short buzzing of his phone alerting him to a new text message. He grabbed at it, eager to have an escape from the paperwork of their latest gruesome case. But his heart fell as he read over the text from Bones.

"Can't make lunch. Forgot about a meeting. Dinner?"

He texted back a quick reply. "We have Sweets at 5. I'll pick you up?"

It was a couple of minutes before his phone vibrated again, and he pictured her setting down a skull and pulling of her gloves to text back a reply. Finally he read: "Sure. Angela will get a ride home with Jack. She doesn't want to wait around."

"See you at 4:30." He typed and pocketed his phone once more. Part of him was disappointed that their lunch plans had fallen through, and part of him was thrilled at her offer of dinner. Maybe he'd take her somewhere nice, and they'd talk. Somewhere not too expensive, because he didn't want her to comment that she had more money and should pay for her own meal. There was that new Italian place up the street that Agent Harding had taken his wife for lunch last week. Maybe they'd go there.

- - -

"Agent Booth, Doctor Brennan," Sweets nodded at each of them. "Come on in."

"Hey there, Sweets." Booth grinned as he walked in. "How're the action figures?"

"You're chipper today, Agent Booth. Anything you'd like to share?" Sweets sat down at his desk and pulled a pad of paper to him.

"Nothing for your ears, Sweets," Booth plopped himself onto the couch, one arm over the back of it. Brennan sat down next to him.

"Zone of truth, Booth. Nothing you say will leave this room." Sweets gesticulated widely and leaned forward over the edge of the desk. "Isn't that right, Doctor Brennan?"

Brennan leaned against the back of the couch, thinking. "I can't promise that I will repeat _nothing_, but I understand the need for doctor-patient confidentiality. I assure you, however, there is nothing Booth would tell you that I do not already know. Isn't that right, Booth?" She looked up at him and in doing so, the back of her head brushed against Booth's arm and sent shivers through his body.

He dropped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze but kept his gaze focused on the psychologist. "It's not a matter of confidentiality, Sweets, as much as it is I am morally against stealing a little boy's innocence- namely, yours."

Realization dawned in Sweets' eyes. "Oh. Is it about," his voice dropped to a near-whisper. "a woman?"

"It's not any of your concern, Doctor Sweets." Brennan interjected on Booth's behalf. "The FBI does not consider relationship status when evaluating partners, which makes that line of inquiry immaterial to our session." Booth nodded smugly, his arm still wrapped around Brennan's shoulders.

"Oh, but they do, Doctor Brennan. You see, men who are taken do not get along as well with younger bachelors who life a carefree life. Now, which of those categories would you classify Booth in?" Sweets watched Booth roll his eyes and huff impatiently, but he kept his focus on the woman sitting next to him.

Brennan paused for a moment, evaluating her options. "Well, he's certainly not carefree." She felt Booth stiffen beside her. "You have a son, Booth. You life is not without worries." She clarified for him, and he nodded.

"Agent Booth?"

"I dunno, Sweets. Isn't it your job to analyze me? Why does it matter what I think?" As usual, Booth resisted the psychologist's question, but this time his eyes were locked with the young doctor's and the tension in his gaze was palpable.

"Why don't you start by telling me the truth, Agent Booth. Do you like somebody right now?" He emphasized the word "like."

"What is this, high school? Yes, I have feelings for someone." Booth's arm tensed around Brennan almost imperceptibly as he spat the words at Sweets. "We've discussed this before, Sweets. Recently, in fact."

If Brennan was surprised, she didn't show it. Sweets scribbled on his paper for a moment before he spoke again. "How often do you see this woman?"

"Almost every day." This time it was Booth's jaw that clenched and the words came out a low growl as he dropped his arm from Brennan's shoulder and crossed his arms against his chest.

Again, Brennan's face was a mask, but the wheels were clearly turning in her head very quickly as she fought to catch up. She was now aware of a prior conversation of Booth's personal life that she had not been privy to, and she was momentarily frustrated with Booth for not filling her in entirely on what had occurred while she was in Guatemala.

"Doctor Brennan?"

"Yes, Doctor Sweets?" Brennan's face colored slightly when she realized she had been caught not paying attention.

Sweets wrote something else in his notebook. "I just asked you which category you would place yourself in."

"Oh. Well, I certainly do not live the life of a single woman. I rarely frequent clubs, except when Angela makes me. I have a respectable career - two, actually - and I make a reasonable sum of money, but that's not without responsibility."

"C'mon, Bones, be serious. The only obligations you have are to your work, and you don't even consider that a chore. You're definitely not tied down." Booth interjected.

Brennan paused, contemplating, but any response was interrupted by Sweets. "Very good, you two. Very good. Now, we have a new trust exercise today-"

"What? We aren't going to discuss that?" Booth's eyes glowed with danger.

"What would you like us to discuss, Agent Booth?"

"Booth is right, Doctor Sweets. On the previous occasions that you have asked our opinions, we have discussed what our answers indicate about our personalities."

Sweets resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the way Brennan predictably backed up her partner. "I'm not sure that will be helpful today."

"Anything is better than a "totally awesome" trust game." Booth added, and Sweets knew he had been beaten.

"Alright. Let's see," Sweets consulted his sheet of scribbled notes. "Booth considers himself to be taken, and Doctor Brennan agrees he has responsibilities beyond that of a bachelor. Is that correct?" He looked up at the two of them, who both nodded. "It's evident that Agent Booth is a man of emotions, despite his need to hide them behind a wall of aggression." That earned him a glare from both of his clients. "And Doctor Brennan agreed that she also sees Booth as a man with the responsibilities of an adult, and he takes those very seriously. There is no disagreement that Booth would be classified as a mature man well set in his life."

He glanced down at his notes again, and paused for a moment. It was imperative that he chose his words carefully when referring to Doctor Brennan. "Doctor Brennan, on the other hand, considered herself to be a settled woman. Agent Booth, you disagreed. Can you explain why?"

Booth turned to the woman next to him. "Didn't I already clarify that? I don't think Sweets is paying any attention to us, Bones. Maybe we'd better go so we don't distract him from whatever it is he'd rather be doing."

"Our session isn't over, Agent Booth."

"Then maybe you'd better hurry up with your analysis and quit wasting our time."

"Right, Doctor Brennan is not tied down. She would be classified as single woman, though it is interesting that she views herself as tied down, especially considering her past actions…"

Brennan tensed, sensing where this conversation was headed, and Booth quickly interrupted the psychologist. "Bones, was that your _stomach? _We'd better get some food in you, pronto. Did you skip lunch again?"

"Booth, my stomach did not make any noises. Are you alright? Have you had your hearing checked lately?" Her face wrinkled in concern as she turned to her partner, the doctor's comment forgotten.

Sweets rolled his eyes and added a note to his sheet. _Agent Booth very protective, unwilling to discuss Doctor Brennan's past. Protection mimicked by Brennan's concern for Booth's health._

"I've told you a thousand times, Bones, I'm fine. Let's go to the diner." The two rose from the couch and reached for their coats.

Sweets quickly shut his notebook and addressed the pair. "Very well. I'll see you next week. Thank you for your time." But his comment might as well have been directed to the desk, for neither Booth nor Brennan dignified him with a response as he helped her into her coat.

Booth placed a hand on the small of Brennan's back and ushered her out the door. Right before he followed, he turned back towards Sweets. His brown eyes were cold and dark with fury as he glared at the psychologist and mouthed "we'll talk later." Sweets sank a couple inches lower in his chair and didn't breathe again until Booth had exited the office and firmly closed the door behind him.

**A/N: There you go! Longest chapter yet, and it's the introduction to the drama. Chapter six should be up in the next day or two. Thanks for the reviews!**


	6. Chapter 6

Brennan reached over to his plate, snatching a fry away. They were in the Royal Diner, just a few hours after their appointment with Sweets. His indignant cry at the loss of his food was silenced by her brilliant smile.

_How can she not realize what she is doing to me? _Booth found himself thinking almost angrily, but he grinned back at her. He'd tried to take her out to a nice restaurant, but Brennan, as always, was very set in her ways.

"We go out _after_ the case, Booth. Don't you remember? We eat at the Diner until it's solved, then we go somewhere else."

And as usual, he'd been unable to argue with her. Her concern for him was frustrating, but not invalid after she'd seen his skull cut open. She stood there and watched him at his weakest, metaphorically and physically. He mentally kicked himself for making her worry. She shouldn't have to worry for his sake. No matter how much she fought it, he was always supposed to be the one protecting her. That was his job.

He looked up to see her eyeing his plate again, and he curled his arm around it.

"Get your own, Bones. These are mine." He looked up at her with twinkling eyes as he struggled to hide his smile.

But Brennan's wide grin dropped from her face as she looked out the window at the busy street.

"You really don't have to do that, Booth."

"What are you talking about?" Booth's voice was somewhat playful as he tried to steer the conversation back to safe topics. "I'm just trying to protect my fries because you won't admit to the waitress that you want your own."

"Exactly," she replied softly, still avoiding eye contact.

"What?" He was serious now, trying to understand what she was so solemn about.

"You don't have to protect everything."

"Course I do, Bones. I gotta keep you outta trouble, don't I?" He reached out, waving a hand in front of her face. She didn't even flinch as she continued to stare out the window pointedly. Sighing, Booth moved his hand to her chin and softly redirected her gaze to his face.

"Booth, I-" she began, but he cut her off instantly.

"No, Bones. Let me say something, first." He stared her down until she nodded slightly, and he continued. "I know that since my surgery, I haven't been… myself. And I'm sorry for that, because it's making you worry. I haven't been the man that I was before, but I'm trying to find him again. I don't know exactly how I used to act, but I also don't know what I don't know. Does that make sense?"

He took a breath but continued before hearing her answer. "I don't know what it is that I'm doing wrong. I don't know which parts of me I don't remember. And you're doing a great job of helping me figure that out, helping me find myself again. But you gotta give me some credit, Bones. I'm not helpless. I'm not weak. I'm still Booth, even if I'm not acting the exact same way."

"Of course you're still Booth. It's impossible for you to be anybody else." She protested, but her argument was weak and she knew it.

He flashed her a small smile. "You know what I mean, Bones."

"I'm sorry I have been doubting you." She broke their eye contact and shifted her gaze to the table, but his hand, still on her chin, redirected it back to his eyes.

"You have _nothing _to apologize for, Bones. This is not your fault. I'm not some skull that's been smashed to pieces. You are not required to fix this."

"Yes, I am, Booth."

"Bones, you're not listening-"

"I'm your best friend." She hesitated slightly, before repeating his words from Friday. "Your life partner. You need me, so I'm here to do whatever it is that you require as you get back to where you were before your surgery."

He didn't respond for a moment. The warmth that was spreading through him, at hearing her call herself his life partner, was overwhelming. He opened his mouth and closed it again, finding words inadequate.

Before he could eve collect his thoughts, she was speaking again. "And as it's my responsibility to share with you what is abnormal for you, I feel that I must recount my most recent observations."

Booth dropped his hand from her jaw and placed both his arms behind his plate as he nodded, slowly. "What is it, Bones?" He spoke in the same, professional manner as she did.

"You made me lie, Booth." His mouth dropped open yet again, but she continued before he could speak. "I'm sure it was inadvertent, but you still made me lie to Doctor Sweets. You heard me tell him that I already knew whatever it is that was bothering you. You heard me say that, Booth. And then you go spilling your guts about some woman whom I've never even heard of."

Brennan's tone was not accusatory, but her eyes did not hide the hurt. Booth had to force himself to keep looking at her as he formulated his reply. "You've heard of her, Bones. Of course you've heard of her."

"No, I haven't. You haven't ever spoken about women willingly. You once told me that if I wanted something, I had to offer something of myself back. I've told you about my problems with men, Booth. You knew everything about my relationships, yet you've told me nothing in return. Anthropologically, it makes sense for you to recount the stories of your conquests to another man in order to gain a higher social status. But you could talk to me too, Booth."

Booth's heart sank. "Bones, they're not conquests and I'm not telling Sweets about them"

"You have had a private conversation about women." Her right hand fiddled with her fork, but she didn't pick it up to resume eating.

"A woman, Bones. Not women. They're not conquests because there is only one of them."

"You have a girlfriend, then. You have a girlfriend- somebody I know nothing about." She was definitely accusing him now.

He sighed but resisted the urge to run his fingers through his hair. It wouldn't help him if she thought he was frustrated with her. "Of course not, Bones. How could I keep something like that a secret from you? We spend all our time together."

"But you see this woman every day."

"I do."

"She works with you, then?" Her question was curious, but Booth could feel the hidden dagger behind her words.

Booth hesitated, and his answer was almost a whisper. "Yes."

"Okay." Her voice, too, was softer than before, and Booth could almost feel her slamming the door on this conversation.

"What, you aren't going to ask me who it is?"

She speared a piece of her lettuce onto her fork as she replied. "You clearly are unwilling to share that with me. And while I argue with your logic that my breasts prevent me from being able to have an adult conversation about sex, I must respect your wishes."

He reached out to stop her from placing the piece of lettuce in her mouth. "It's because it's not about sex, Bones. My feelings for this woman are much, much deeper than casual sex. That's why I haven't done anything about them. I need her to understand that before I can begin a relationship with her." His eyes bored into her across the table.

"I understand that, Booth. I do. My only intent in bringing this up was to share with you the anomaly in your behavior this afternoon. As I said, you do not usually make me a liar."

"Well, now you know, Bones."

"As much as Sweets?"

He recalled a conversation he'd once had with her about lying to those you love to protect them. "As much as Sweets." He assured her while crossing his fingers in his lap.

**A/N: Right, everybody. I'm incredibly sorry for the delay in this chapter. I've had it written for a while, but to be honest I got swept up in finals and forgot to post it before I left to visit relatives out of state. That being said, I'm working on 7 right now and it should be up within the next day, I promise. Thanks for your patience!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Agent Booth, what a surprise!" Sweets leaned against the doorframe of his apartment, attempting to block Booth's view into the room. He was dressed only in a pair of plaid pajamas pants. Booth had not changed since his day at work and was still dressed in his usual suit and a snappy purple tie.

"Can it, kiddo. We need to talk." Booth growled and placed one hand on the door, pushing it open a little wider.

"Ah, yes. Well, you see, now isn't really a good time. Perhaps tomorrow? If you call my receptionist, she can set you up with an appointment." Sweets coughed, placing his bare foot against the door to resist Booth's push.

"Sweets." Booth's snarl had surpassed frightening, and the young psychologist realized the dangerous edge to the tone. He stepped back suddenly, subconsciously, and Booth muscled his way into the room.

"Agent Booth, this is really not appropriate." Sweets gestured to his bare-chested appearance.

Booth barked a laugh. "Whatever you've got under your panties, Sweets, I've seen it." Sweets blushed at the implication of his femininity but his stammers were interrupted by Booth. "Nice place. Would've thought you'd have life size action figures, but those are probably in the back. You can bring them out, Sweets, it's not like there are going to be any women here that you need to hide them from."

If anything, Sweets face paled instead of blushing. "Agent Booth, can I ask why you found it necessary to barge into my apartment at-" he glanced at the clock above his stove "twelve-thirty on a Monday night?"

"I told you. We need to talk. Got any beer?" Booth loosened his tie with one hand and pulled the fridge open with his other.

"Are you drunk, Agent Booth?"

"Trust me, if I was drunk, you'd know it, Sweets. I'm barely restraining myself from pummeling you to shreds as is." He pulled a face at the options of alcohol in the fridge before selecting a cheap beer.

"I have to ask you not to drink that." Sweets reached over and took the beer from Booth.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anybody you have it. I know you're underage." But Booth didn't argue with Sweets as he placed it back in the refrigerator.

"Lancelot?" A sleepy voice called from the end of a long hallway. Booth's face paled as he glanced down the hall and saw Daisy Wick dressed in a masculine bathrobe. "Who is it? It's late." Booth's gaze snapped back to Sweets', waiting to see his response.

"It's about work, babe. Go back to bed. I'll be there as soon as I can." Sweets maintained eye contact with Booth even as he spoke with his girlfriend.

"I'll miss you, cupcake." Daisy called softly before padding back into the bedroom.

Booth had to give the man some credit, for Sweets didn't even blush at the nickname. The psychologist sighed, resigning himself to a long night. "What is so urgent that it must be discussed now, Agent Booth?"

Booth pulled off his suit jacket and slung it on the counter. "Do you have any idea what you almost said to her?"

"I told you, Agent Booth, I am required not to share any of the information you give me with any other party. That includes your partner."

Booth rolled his eyes. "I'm not worried about you telling her that I love her, though we'll talk about that in a minute. You don't even realize how close you were to the truth tonight, do you?"

Sweets padded over to a small table in the corner of the room, collecting a legal pad and pen from a drawer. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"No, no notes today, Sweets." Booth pulled the pad from Sweets' hands and threw it back onto the counter.

"Agent Booth…" Sweets protest was quiet but indignant. "I have allowed you into my house at nearly one in the morning. I've allowed you to pull me from my bed, my girlfriend. I understand you are upset about something, but I will not allow you to manhandle me. Now, either calm down and explain yourself, or make an appointment with my receptionist."

"It takes a man to be manhandled, Sweets." But the venom had mostly disappeared from Booth's voice. "It's just… you were so close to ruining everything."

"I've assured you multiple times, Booth, I will not share your feelings for Doctor Brennan with anybody unless they become a detriment to your work."

"It's not about that, Sweets!" A pointed look from Sweets and Booth lowered his voice. "You told her that she was tied down. You said that she's tied to her work and attached to her life as it is."

Sweets paled slightly, realizing the implication of the words. He sat down heavily in a chair at the kitchen table. "I said nothing of the sort, Agent Booth. I merely recapitulated what she had stated about herself. You did not allow me to share my thoughts on the matter."

Booth placed both hands on the counter and leaned across it menacingly, making Sweets feel almost as if he were being interrogated by the agent.

"And what are your thoughts, Sweets?" Booth's voice was a low growl once more.

Sweets sighed running a hand over a smooth jaw. If Booth had been in a better mood, he would have commented on the lack of stubble there, but he continued to glare the psychologist down in silence.

"I think that Doctor Brennan is a complex human with conflicting emotions. She longs to fit in and be loved, and you have given her security in her place in the world. In that sense, she is tied down."

A long silence filled the room as the agent continued to stare Sweets down. "Do you understand what would happen if you made her think that? If you made her think she was trapped? She'd run, Sweets. She'd leave and never look back. I'd lose her."

"I understand that in the past, Doctor Brennan has set a precedent for running any time she feels that she has to stay. But I don't think you put enough faith in your relationship, Agent Booth. Doctor Brennan's ties are to you, not to anything else. She has demonstrated an awesome amount of trust in you both as a work partner and as a friend."

Booth nodded. "Exactly, Sweets. That's exactly it. She trusts me, and if you turn that around to make her feel like she's stuck, it'll ruin everything. She'll turn around and run. That's why I've got to take this slowly."

Sweets shook his head. "You aren't listening, Agent Booth. Doctor Brennan trusts you. She has allowed you close enough to her to make a difference. She listens to what you have to say. If you told her you loved her, she wouldn't run. Part of her already knows that, and the rest of her wants it to be true."

"But love scares her." Booth's anger had dissipated to be replaced by the weariness one only knows late in the night after a long day of difficult emotions and conversations.

"No, Agent Booth. She's not scared of love. She's scared of _not_ having love."

"Sweets, you're being ridiculous. That makes no sense."

"Think about it. In the past, those that have loved her have always left. Even those she thought _had_ to love her. It's not having somebody love her that she's worried about. Her fear lies in her judgment. She's terrified to allow herself to love again."

"I know all that, Sweets."

Sweets held up a hand to silence Booth before continuing. "That's where her hatred for psychology comes from – she's terrible at it. She hides behind facts ad things that she can prove because she can't prove emotions, she can't prove feelings. When she meddled with feelings in the past, she was wrong. In her eyes, those she loves never love her back enough to stay with her."

"But you told me not to tell her that I love her." Booth's confusion was palpable.

Sweets stood and crossed the room to where the agent had retreated and was leaning against the counter in frustration.

"You need to _show_ her, Booth. You need to prove to her that your feelings are true. She has already placed her trust in you beyond anything she's ever done before. If you just tell her that you love her, it might ruin that. You need to show her that you love her before you do anything else."

"You just said that you can't prove emotion, Sweets. How and I supposed to do it?" Booth's voice was low and his gaze was directed at the linoleum, desperate for the younger scientist not to see his watery, frustrated eyes.

"I said that _she _can't prove feelings, Booth. You can- you're a man of feelings to her logic. You just need to find a way. It's not going to be easy, but she's not a rock. She'll come around. Her feelings from you are so strong. It's awesome, really. She'll get there. You just need to help her along."

Booth turned on his heel and headed for the door. He was almost out of the frame before he stopped and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. When he spoke, it was to the hall more than it was to the doctor behind him.

"I'm trying. I'm trying _so damn hard_." And with that, Booth left, pulling the door closed behind him.

**A/N: This is the second chapter that I've posted today to make up for my long absence. I hope you are still reading, but I have no way of knowing unless you review! Please let a worried author know if she should continue or whether she lost all of her readers. Chapter eight will be up tomorrow! **


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